Has an MCSE helped your career?

smg1138

Since I'm currently working on my MCSE, I'm just curious to hear from other people about this. For those who have earned an MCSE, do you feel it really helped your career in IT? Do you feel like it helped you break through to a higher level position? When you go to job interviews, do your interviewers seem impressed by it? Like I said, I'm really just curious. It seems like most interviews I go to, they don't say anything about certifications. I'm really hoping it's going to be worth all the time and effort to get this cert.

rwwest7

Yes, but the CCNA helped it more.

burner27

Helped me get a $22K raise from one job to another.

rwwest7

The biggest thing you get from certs isn't really the "recognition", it's the knowledge learned in getting them. What I learned during my studies has helped far far more than the recognition in having them. What I mean is that people are more impressed when I show what I learned by fixing things, they could care less about the piece of paper mostly. As long as you're not dumping than it will be well worth the money, and don't be one of those "get it as fast you can" people. Take your time and really learn the material, the faster you learn it the faster you forget it.

ipconfig.all

Well in nearly every single interview I have went to my certifications were considered but they did not get me the job as in WOWOWO you have these certs you are hired. It is about the experience, you got to have experience to back up your certifications for an example if you are a mcse on server 2003 you need work experience in configuring windows servers 2003 servers if not your certifications will be not that effective. A certification shows that you can do something experience shows that you have being there and done that. Qualifications and Experience are two different things so in other words if you want your certifications to shine you will need some industrial experience with the technology.

Some employers want you to be certified as proof even though you have real world experience in the technology, which is why some experienced people do certifications.

So I guess you need qualifications to back up your experience and you need experience to back up your qualifications.

For me my certifications has given me alot of knowledge and a good strong foundation and I was able to apply that in jobs and I was able to further learn and grow.

Devilsbane

burner27 wrote: »

Helped me get a $22K raise from one job to another.

That is quite impressive. I think when all is said and done, my MCSE will have costed $3,000 for test prep, maybe a few hundred more for travel. Nice to know it could be paid off in about 2 months.

smg1138 wrote: »

For those who have earned an MCSE, do you feel it really helped your career in IT? Do you feel like it helped you break through to a higher level position?

If you haven't seen it already, you might be interested in the post I made about MCSE starting pay. http://www.techexams.net/forums/mcsa-mcse-windows-2003-general/55141-starting-pay-mcse.html

ipconfig.all

Most jobs that ask for a MCSE wants you to have 2 to 3 years of experience MINIMUM and they also want you to have knowledge of non MS technologies such as Vmware,Cisco,Citrix etc. Sure people who have MCSE gets well paid jobs but most employers wants more other than the MCSE.

Countryboi

i dont have a MCSE but i know alot of companies HR people use certs to exclude people...so i am sure at the very least it should get you interviews for that you wouldnt have gotten otherwise and in the end thats all you can really ask for is a chance.

chrisone

i am not server oriented but i believe that high level certifications should give you an advantage and some sort of security in finding a decent living. If its not working for you then obviously your not applying yourself properly or your not doing something right. Those are my opinions and not directed to the original poster. Just what i believe in general, same could be said of a bachelors or masters degree.

smg1138

Thanks for the responses. I guess I really just want to be reassured that all the time and money I'm spending on this isn't going to be in vain. I already have a Bachelor's degree that I don't use and I don't want that to happen again. Plus my wife isn't too thrilled with how much time I have to spend studying for these exams. I just hope it's worth it in the long run.

brianeaglesfan

smg1138 wrote: »

Thanks for the responses. I guess I really just want to be reassured that all the time and money I'm spending on this isn't going to be in vain. I already have a Bachelor's degree that I don't use and I don't want that to happen again. Plus my wife isn't too thrilled with how much time I have to spend studying for these exams. I just hope it's worth it in the long run.

Wives come and go, but an MCSE is forever (at least according to Microsoft).

Devilsbane

brianeaglesfan wrote: »

Wives come and go, but an MCSE is forever (at least according to Microsoft).

I'm using this quote with my fiance next time she complains that I'm still up studying!

asurania

MCITP:EA or MCSE will definatly help you in your job hunt.
I do agree the expereince is also important, but the MCITP:EA/MCSE will help. It is almost essential if you do not have expereince at all.

Also look at WGU.EDU they have the Bsc in NEtwork design and managment.. which includes the MCITP: EA and its really cheap

Last of all, another tactic i am doing is that I will help my friend out in his privite school to set up a servers and a network to add to my resume which hopefully combine with the MCITP: EA should help more

Also one last thing

Look at the microsoft SCOM/SCCM/Hyper-V/Exchange MCTS...

since most server jobs will require those above skils. so you kinda neeed a package...

CBT Nuggets is amazing to learn those fast

colemic

I have found that as a ogv. contractor, is mandatory that you have certain certs, whether they are applicable to your specific job or not (DODI 8570 requirements). Usually, no cert = no interview. It's all about the labor category that they can put you in, that determines how much they can, in turn, bill the government.

thenjduke

Yes it helped me and still does. We are a complete Cisco and Microsoft shop. I just got a nice raise for passing my CCNA. I am working on my CCNP switch now and then going back to CCNA Security. I want to do VMWare exam too.

ipconfig.all

Some employers can't still even tell the difference between a mcsa/e and a mcitp sa/ea

Mishra

rwwest7 wrote: »

The biggest thing you get from certs isn't really the "recognition", it's the knowledge learned in getting them. What I learned during my studies has helped far far more than the recognition in having them. What I mean is that people are more impressed when I show what I learned by fixing things, they could care less about the piece of paper mostly. As long as you're not dumping than it will be well worth the money, and don't be one of those "get it as fast you can" people. Take your time and really learn the material, the faster you learn it the faster you forget it.

Exactly.

My answer to the question is ABSOLUTELY.

Simply because the knowledge gained is invaluable.

Daniel333

yes, since adding MCSE to my resume I get at least one job offer (albeit, not the greatest ones) a month.

Honestly, CCNA+MCSE is madatory it almost feels.

luckybob

I got about a $16k raise for getting mcse. Since all the study prep and exam expenses were picked up by my company, it was free.

I just got done looking for a new job, and having my mcse with my vcp certs helped me find a job easily, and get the pay I wanted without settling for the base amount offered.

skyline

I went from 22k to 45k with my MCSE